The day book. (Chicago, Ill.) 1911-1917, June 08, 1912, Image 13

Image and text provided by University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library, Urbana, IL

THE SHERIFF'S DUTYAll the previous day and part'of the night the sound of hammers had been heard ominouslyoutside the jail. A tall skeleton-1 like structure now loomed intotne air, a gnastiy signt. x ne scaifold seemed to have a cruel lookwith the noosed rope hangingfrom it.'Inside the jail a man trembledand cringed and prayed. AkronBrant had been duly tried, convicted and sentenced to be "hanged by the neck until dead," forthe murder of Amy Leslie. Theevidence showed conclusivelythat he had, waylai4 her as shewas returning from her work onewinter evening. The body hadbeen found in a gully.But Brant had money, andmoney will do almost anything.Hundreds of men had been will1ing to sign their names to a paperasking the governor to pardonhim.The hanging was to take placeat 12 o'clock sharp. It was now11. The prisoner was utterly collapsed. In his cell he lay, alternately moaning, crying out andpraying.im Beechel, the sheriff, hadgone abottt the preparations forhis grewsome duty with a ratherlight heart."A feller'd think you was accustomed to hang a man everymornin' before breakfast, Jim,"his deputy had said.And Beechel had only smiledsadly. A big man,, but very gentle and tender, was Jim Beechel.He was loved even by the prisoners in the county jail. His lightheartedness was therefore thesubject "of some comment.It was just five minutes beforethe appointed hour for the execution when the sheriff and hisdeputy emerged from the jailinto the yard, where a smallcrowd of men waited to see theact of justice" done. Betweenthem they half dragged, half carried a. cringing form that madeweak efforts to hold "Hack.Across the yard and up thesteps they went.Suddenly on the scaffold theprisoner straightened up. Hepointed out across the broad valley at a cloud of dust. A horseman was approaching on a g&lop. '"My pardon. Wait!" . hescreamed.But the sheriff paid no attention to him. It was just one minute before 12 .o'clock. The capwas adjusted in spite of the man'sstruggles , and the .noose wasplaced around his peck.The .horseman was very nearnow an,d wavjng a piece of whitepaper above his head. Just thenthe hour struck, and the sheriffsprurfg the trap. $A moment later the messengerarrived with the reprieve whichBrant's money had succeeded ingetting.And SherifTJim Beechel smiled.There was a look of satisfied vengeance in his eyes. And back ofit a close observer could have reaoa. deepeiviendejier look.